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Friday, November 16, 2018

BENEATH THE REMAINS WILL ARISE AGAIN!! SOUTH AMERICA PART 3

As many of my Students know, I have a special fondness for Argentina. The countryside, the food, the tango, the protests, the people .....I always look forward to going there. What makes the people different? They never judged me during the time of The Dark Well I was thrown into some years back! Never. If they ask for a pick and you say you don't have one, they say, ok, sorry to ask. They don't run over me and knock me over to get to Max. Those actions mean a lot to me.

We flew into Buenos Aires and there was another bus waiting for us. Beneath the Remains/Arise was about to be one of the first international Metal bands to play 5 cities in Argentina, and we actually had a bus with bunks!

I will show you the Argentina that is not made of bustling cites or nights of laughter and tango, but the countryside! We quickly made our way outside Buenos Aires and avoided the endless traffic jams. Before long, we were in a vast open green paradise! I was amazed first of all by the rich black earth supporting green rolling pastures, which were sprinkled with sitting water. If we had that dirt in Arizona, it would be a dream come true! The land was lush with vegetation, trees and marshes. There were peaceful pastures as far as one can see. No wonder they have that delicious beef!!! Every so many miles, you could see herds of cattle munching on the lime green grass. And the birds!!! I have never seen so many birds in the wild in my life and I have seen most everywhere! Hawks, many varieties of ducks, cranes and storks were everywhere! Keep that duck hunting family away from Argentina because they will stay! This country must be a migration destination! I even saw swans cuddling!

Tiny villages were actually rare. The two lane highway had more bumps than traffic. Most of the days we were the lone invader, bouncing along near forgotten meadows, with an occasional dirt road slicing through, washboard of course. When we did go through a small town, I noticed they all had statues and artwork in little circles of the highway. In these small habitats, people are like one big family. In one village I saw men working to clear the land for what looked like it would be a small road.

The homes in these small villages were rectangular. Simple but tidy. I am sure there must be a reason that regards the climate that justifies this. And yes, some people were quite poor. Outside the villages I saw the simplest of human life. Homes patchworked together, no windows and quite far from any human luxuries outside of nature. That is how families begin. This are the foundation of our family trees, until one child has the desire to go outside the perimeter. It starts with one. The parents are gathering food from the wild or from nurturing the few chickens, goats, or a cow they own. The mothers are making clothes from sheep wool or washing hand me downs. It made me think of my mother living in shacks and begging from farmers for bread and a bit of milk or cheese. We all start in these basic dwellings. These roots shall always remain!!

Two entities I love about my life, fans, and touring are the fan art and the discovery of local foods! Argentina is no different! The empanadas, the carne, the red wines and the fresh fruits and vegetables are bountiful! The meat is all grass fed and fresh food is organic. It also isn't grown in smog infested air and poisoned, dirty water! And what about that dulche de leche! In Buenos Aires enjoyed dinner with Aggy's, Dad, Claudio, and the savory beef and king salmon!

Some of my favorite art pieces, besides Russian style art, is made by the fans. Our home is full of fan art! Max and I bring it all home and display it with love. It is heartfelt and made with such honor! Sometimes it's a bit strange but art is always varied!

Of course the shows were all packed. The fans sang their guts out and the Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole, Ca-va-le-er-ra was through the roof! You can browse Youtube and Facebook and view it, but you cant see through our eyes behind the scenes. Here, in class, my Students choose to walk with me! Onward to Uruguay!

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ABOUT YOUR TEACHER

"This is my story...my Metal History, a salad tossed with my roots, my present life, the lives of my children and grandchildren. And ...the story must be and can only be written by those who lived it..." Gloria Cavalera